Controversy Precedes Departure of Vancouver Head of Planning

Brian Jackson will retire after stepping down from his position as chief planner for the city of Vancouver.

1 minute read

August 13, 2015, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Vancouver Skyline

Mark Van Manen / Vancouver Skyline

"Vancouver’s top planner is resigning only three years after being appointed to a job that has been at the centre of uproar over rapid development," reports Frances Bula.

According to Bula, "Brian Jackson blames the unusual efforts former planning staff have made to increasingly contradict and oppose what his department is doing, at a time when the city is trying to accomplish a lot on many fronts. The previous planner was in the post for six years; the one before that did the job for at least 10 years." The article includes more details of the political debates that led to his departure.

Allen Garr followed up on the news with a column recapping the significant events from Jackson's tenure, including the controversial approval the approval of a 36-story condo tower on the edge of Emery Barnes Park, the community plan for Grandview-Woodland, and a decision to shut down the city's Urban Design Studio.

Sunday, July 26, 2015 in The Globe and Mail

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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